Call for Horsham to become a Dementia Friendly Community

Groups and services from across the district have called for Horsham to become a Dementia Friendly Community.
Question and answer session at the Age UK Horsham District meeting SUS-140710-152511001Question and answer session at the Age UK Horsham District meeting SUS-140710-152511001
Question and answer session at the Age UK Horsham District meeting SUS-140710-152511001

Organisations from across West Sussex came down to Horsham to talk about the growing problem of dementia in the area and to discuss what the district can do to become a Dementia Friendly Community at a meeting last week in the Drill Hall.

The gathering was organised by Age UK Horsham District and was part of their annual community event.

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Janice Lemming, chief executive officer of the charity, said: “Other areas of the country, such as Crawley and York, have recognised the benefits of everyone working together to make their community a friendlier place for people with dementia.

“With the growing number of local people living with dementia, the time is right for the community in the Horsham district to come together to ensure we are providing the right support.”

More than 100 people attended the event on Wednesday October 1, where members of the public heard speeches from carers and people living with the disease, and visited different stalls to speak to different organisations about the support they offer.

Julie Kalsi, support officer for Crawley Dementia Alliance, spoke about the importance of recognising the condition in the area and how Horsham could become a Dementia Friendly Community like Crawley without having to copy what they have done.

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Julie said: “There are many ways you can become a dementia friendly community. You need to start somewhere, whether that’s speaking to one pub or one school and teaching them about dementia or dealing with issues like transport in the area. It is not about following other places - we know everywhere is different.

“Things that have worked in Crawley may not work in Horsham so it is up to the town to find out what works for them.”

The alliance was set up by Crawley Borough Council and is made up of businesses and charities as well as volunteers, carers and most importantly people with the condition themselves.

Julie explained the importance of having people with dementia at the forefront of the group. She said: “These guys are effectively my bosses. They run the meetings and we do what they want really.

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“If they have been going to the bookies and the pub to watch football then they are not going to want to go line dancing or something like that. They are still going to want to go to the bookies and the pub to watch football and that is something we have tried to offer.”

The next step for Horsham as a district on its path to becoming a Dementia Friendly Community is the dementia forum being held next month.

The forum will take place at the Capitol Theatre on Friday November 14 where members of the public, carers and people with the condition can go down and discuss the issue in more depth.

n The County Times asked website readers what needs prioritising in Horsham for the district to become a Dementia Friendly Community. 35.4 per cent thought early diagnosis should be prioritised. (29.2 per cent voted for including people with dementia in community life, 25 per cent for promoting awareness in businesses and 10.4 per cent for challenging stigma.)

Results were correct at the time of publishing.

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